Sam & Cody
by TexanChic
Summary: A series of one-shots about Sam and her relationship with Cody. No specific time order; some will take place in the far future and some will take place in the near future. I hope you enjoy them! R
1. Birthday Troubles

"Sam, I think you are making a big deal out of it when there is no need to," Brynna said as she hung laundry on the clothes line," He's going to be six; he most likely won't even remember this birthday."

"I know, Mom," replied Sam, hanging up a towel," But I just love the little tike so much that it has to be a special birthday, whether he remembers it or not."

(Sam had started calling Brynna "Mom" last mother's day; it brought both of them pleasure.)

"Why don't you get him that dump truck he had his eye on? I'm sure he'd love it."

"Yeah, he'd love it at first, but then he'll forget all about it. No, it has to be something he'd never get tired of."

Brynna looked over at the twenty year old beside her and shook her head. It would be hard to find a gift that a little boy with a short attention span would never get tired of, but if anyone could do it, Sam could.

_Three hours later:_

Ring, ring.

"I'll get it," called Sam," Hello?"

"Hi, Sam," said Jen," Could you come over and help me with a horse?"

"Sure, I'll be right over," Sam replied.

Jen, although she was in vet school, still job shadowed the vet during break. Quite often, Dr. Scott ended up dropping off an animal for her to take care of during the summer, his place being too full.

"_This _is the horse you need help with? What's wrong, is he too much for you?" Sam asked sarcastically.

"Haha, very funny. I don't need your help handling him; I need your help finding a home for him. Know anyone that would be interested?" Jen asked, looking at the gorgeous miniature horse who was grazing peacefully in the field with the Shetland ponies.

"Yes, actually, I do," Sam said, a smug smile spreading across her face.

_Cody's birthday:_

As the Forster family finished singing happy birthday to Cody, Sam snuck outside to get the black gelding ready. She tied a big red ribbon around his shiny neck, and when the adults brought Cody outside to see his present, the smile on his face proved that she had accomplished what she set out to do; she had found the perfect gift.

"What are you going to name him?" she asked her little brother.

He considered for a moment while stroking the black's nose, and his answer surprised everyone: "Blackie!"


	2. Babysitting

It was a bright winter's day when Samantha Forster awoke. Someone must have turned off her alarm clock because she had overslept. The smell of bacon and coffee wafted up the stairs to tempt her tired body out of bed. She took her time getting dressed, wanting to enjoy every moment of her supposed day-off.

"Good morning, Honey," greeted her step-mother with a kiss on the cheek," Did you sleep good?"

"Uh huh," replied Sam groggily.

"Here. Maybe this will wake you up," and Brynna handed her a cup of very black coffee.

Sam usually drank her coffee with sugar and cream but today she guzzled it down with nothing else in it.

"Sam, Grace has gone to the store, your dad is out working cattle, and I have a doctor's appointment," Brynna said, rubbing her enlarged tummy," Will you watch Cody for a few hours?"

"Okay," responded the slightly more awake Sam," Are you sure dad will be okay with you driving when you are so close to your due date?"

"Will he be okay with it? No. Am I going to do it anyway? Yeah!"

"Alright then," laughed Sam," Where is Cody, anyway?"

He's still in bed. When he wakes up, he is going to want breakfast. I've already got his food ready. Watch him carefully to make sure he doesn't choke, and you know the Heimlich maneuver, right?"

"Yes! Don't worry, everything will be fine," and Sam nearly pushed her out the door.

"Okay, okay! I'm leaving! Oh wait, I almost forgot! There is list of emergency contacts by the phone; if anything goes wrong…"

"I've got it handled, Mom. You should get going; you are going to miss your appointment."

With that, Brynna left, and Cody awoke. He ate his breakfast quietly, seemingly confused at the absence of mom and gram. When breakfast was over, he was dressed, and his few teeth brushed, there came the task of entertaining him.

Sam sat on the couch trying to think of something fun to do when a pillow slammed into her face. Her head whipped around to gaze accusingly at her little brother, but he just looked innocently at her. He was only a few feet away but he had quite a throw for a three-year-old. A smile slowly spread across her face, and she jumped up, grabbed a pillow, and (gently, of course) hit Cody with it. He giggled and grabbed his own pillow. Before they knew it, they were having a full-out pillow _war_ which promptly ended when one of the flying pillows knocked a vase off the side table. Cody picked up the pillows while Sam picked up the broken pottery.

When the living room was nice and orderly again, Sam asked Cody what he wanted to do next.

"Let's build a snowman!" exclaimed the little boy.

It was a perfect day for it. The bright sun had begun to melt some of yesterday's snow, making it wet enough to stick. After bundling up the toddler so much that he could barely move, they made their way outside with a box labeled "Frosty's stuff." The box contained a top hat, a pair of old mittens, and an old scarf. There have been many handsomer snowmen, but probably very few have been made with as much love and laughter as this one.

When Brynna and Grace arrived, almost at the exact same time, they smiled to see the disfigured snowman, and when they walked inside, their smiles broadened to see the sleeping Cody snuggled up in his sister's arms as she slept on the couch. This was the best day-off she ever had.


	3. Lullabuy

When Samantha first laid eyes on her young brother, she thought he was the sweetest thing she ever saw; her perception soon changed, however, as soon as he started screaming. After two months of his crying through the night, she had gotten to the point where she could ignore it. One particular night, though, he was very quiet, and for some strange reason, the quiet was as hard to sleep in as the screaming had been.

Sam decided to try a glass of milk to help her get to sleep, but as she walked past the nursery, Cody started whimpering. She went in, thinking to do her parents a favor. She walked to his crib and scooped him into her arms. He immediately stopped whimpering and stared up at her with big brown eyes. It was obvious that he was smitten with his big sister. Sam sat down in the rocking chair, started to rock him, and began singing softly:

_Hush-a-bye, don't you cry  
Go to sleep you little baby  
When you wake, you'll have cake  
And all the pretty little horses_

Blacks and bays, dapples and greys  
Coach and six white horses  
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry  
Go to sleep you little baby

Her voice wouldn't be considered pleasant to most, but to the little boy in her arms, it was perfect.

Cody had been trying to smile for about a week, and on that starry night, he finally succeeded in lifting the corners of his mouth to give her a big, tooth-less smile. Samantha gazed down at him and knew that if he didn't already have her heart, he surely had it now.

She wasn't aware that her father had softly opened the door and was watching them. He smiled and went back to bed, feeling like he couldn't be happier.


	4. The Sibling War

**Thank you, wildhorses1492, for reviewing my stories, but if no one else reviews it, then I will move on to something else.  
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The annual Darton Fourth-of-July picnic was a large event that everyone looked forward to. Around 4:30, families from all of the neighboring ranches would gather in a large park. Fireworks would be going off as soon as it was dark and would continue until midnight; until then, they would talk and play the kinds of games that you would expect to find at a picnic.

The men would play football until it would be too dark to see, the children would play tag and hide-and-seek, and the women would talk together. But the biggest event of the night, besides the fireworks, would be the Sibling War. Whether you were ten or eighty, as long as you had a sibling, you could participate in the Sibling War. For the majority of the game, the siblings have to work together as a team to beat the other teams of siblings, but when there are only two teams left, the players not only have to compete against the other team, but against their brother/sister as well.

Samantha and Cody Forster had never played in the War, the main reason being that Cody was too little, but the year he turned ten, he wanted to join the fun. Unfortunately for him, however, Sam was busy catching up with Jen, who had been away at college.

"Sam, let's join the War!" Cody exclaimed as he came running up to his big sister.

"Not right now, Cody," said Sam.

Cody considers that the best way to get his sister to do what he wants is to use smack talk.

"What's the matter, Old Lady?" he sneered," Afraid you can't beat me?"

Sam tried not to smile as she turned to look at him.

"Go ahead," laughed Jen," We can talk later."

Sam made her way to the starting line, but found that instead of following her, like she thought, Cody had stopped to talk to Emma. Emma was the daughter of Nate Ely, who had gotten married the summer after Cody was born. Emma was a few years younger than Cody, and they often went for rides and played together. Some people laughed and said that it was Sam and Jake all over again, but Sam didn't see it that way; she saw it as an opportunity to tease her little brother. This often bothered Jake almost as much as it bothered Cody; most likely because his brothers teased him in the same way about Sam.

"Hey, Pipsqueak!" shouted Sam," Let's go! You can talk to your girlfriend later!"

Cody glared at her with as much animosity as a ten-year-old can muster. Jake, who was standing beside her, also glared at her, but Samantha just smiled sweetly at him. Quinn, Jake's partner, caught both looks and laughed, which got him a glare from Jake.

The first event in the Sibling War was the three-legged race; this was won by Jake and Quinn. One team got eliminated after each event, but it was not Sam and Cody. The next event was dunking for apples. Dallas, who was officiating, said that the only rule was that you can't use your hands. Sam and Cody, remembering an old episode form _Dragon Tales_, used their feet and got an apple in record time, winning the event. When they finally got to the last event, Quinn and Jake, and Sam and Cody were the only teams left. This was the event where the teams split and it was everyman for himself.

The last game was called "Cow". The game is rather simple: the first player takes a basketball and shoots a hoop after doing something like spinning three times or shooting with their back to the hoop. If the ball goes through, then the next player has to do the exact same thing, and if they miss, they get a the letter _C_ ; if they miss a second time they get the letter _O_. The first person to spell "cow" loses.

Sam thought that since Cody was the smallest, he would have a difficult time keeping up, but he did really well. Quinn was the first one to lose and then Cody, leaving Sam against Jake. She tried to distract him by saying something just before he threw the ball, but he was prepared for it and never missed. Sam, however, missed twice, making her one letter away from losing. Jake knew this and used it to his advantage. Instead of calling her names and telling her she was going to lose, he said nice things to her and even cheered her on! This threw her off, and she missed. Jake won.

Samantha briefly congratulated him before she walked over to Cody.

"Hey, Buddy," she greeted him," You did a really great job."

"Thanks!" Cody responded," It was a lot of fun! Can we do it again next year?"

"You bet!" exclaimed Sam.

A shadow fell over them and they both looked up to see Jake standing there with a blanket under one arm and holding cake in his other.

"You two want to watch the fireworks with me?" The question was directed more towards Sam, but it was Cody that said yes. And so, they laid down the blanket, ate cake, and watched the fireworks together.


	5. At the Wedding

**Thank you for the reviews, wildhorses1492 and Mouichido13, and thank you Mouichido13 for the suggestion. The thought of doing a one-shot similar to the one you suggested has crossed my mind, but I had a hard time working up the nerve. I've never written a "love story" before, so I'm sorry if the following stinks. I will continue to do these one-shots as long as I'm getting reviews, and ideas are always appreciated.**

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The ranch yard was full of friends and family who had gathered for the wedding. It was a small wedding, in a small church, and with a small reception, but that's how the couple liked it. The old bachelor and the widow couldn't have chosen a better day to exchange vows. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and a steady, cool breeze was blowing.

Dallas and Grace could hardly believe it was happening. After admiring each other from a distance, they were confused as to how it happened. Almost everyone there, except for one girl, were surprised by the news.

Samantha Forster, however, wasn't surprised at all. When she noticed her gram and Dallas standing close to each other at the bonfire, four years ago, she had the crazy idea to play matchmaker. It took a lot of hard work and a long time, but as she stood there in her bridesmaid dress, she knew it was all worth it.

There was only one other person who knew about her schemes, and that was Jake Ely. He had found out about it when she had been a little too obvious about leaving them alone together. He then made her tell him all about it, and when she did, he laughed and said that she would never succeed.

Jake had missed the wedding but would be attending the reception if he could get out of his classes early. Sam could not wait to see him and rub her success in his face. He, however, just couldn't wait to see her. He couldn't deny, even to himself, that his feelings for her had changed. Only the fear of being rejected had kept him silent, but he was going to tell her tonight. If Dallas could do it, then he could too.

The first thing he noticed when he got there was her smug smile. The look on her face shouted out at him, _"I told you so!"_ He laughed and was about to walk over to where she was standing when his "pal" spotted him.

"Jake!" he cried, and he ran full-force at him.

Despite his size, the force was enough to knock Jake off-balance, and they both went down. They were both laughing uncontrollably by the time that Sammy, as Cody called her, reached them. She pulled him off of Jake.

"Cody, go tell Gram that Jake is here," she told the rambunctious little boy.

"Do I have to?" whined the child.

"Yes," sternly, and he walked off pouting.

"Are you okay?" she asked Jake with a small smile.

"Yeah," he replied, using as few words as possible.

She was about to say something sarcastic when his brothers caught sight of him. They bombarded him with questions, and Sam walked away, letting them have their little reunion. Later in the evening, someone brought out a radio and dancing became the popular pastime. It seemed as though everyone had a partner.

Sam's favorite dance partner was Cody. He was light on his feet and didn't tire easily. As for Cody, he had a blast dancing with his big sister; that is, until Jake cut in. Cody was too young to understand why, but he knew that this was significant by his sister's reaction. She immediately let go of his hands and told him to go play with Emma.

Cody scowled. He didn't want to play with Emma; he wanted to dance with Sammy. He walked over to the porch, sat down on the steps, and watched Sam and the guy he _used _to like. Emma waddled over to him on chubby legs and said," _Coey, pay!_ ( This is baby talk for "Cody, play!")

"Not now, Emma," said the unhappy boy, gently pushing her away.

He continued to glare at the young adults until the end of the dance; they then walked to the river, which was obscured from view by a few trees, and he followed them. He hid behind a tree and strained his ears, but he was too far away to hear their whispers. He didn't have to wonder what they were talking about for long, though, because they kissed, and not a little peck, either. The words," Ewwww, gross!" escaped his lips before he could stop them. The lovers pulled apart and looked at him in surprise. Cody turned and ran for the barn.

"Cody, wait!" yelled Sam, and she ran after him.

He was upset. He didn't understand. He seemed to think that if Sam had Jake, then she wouldn't want him anymore. When she found him crying in the loft, she comforted him and said that she would always love him. This calmed him enough that he could ask questions, and the first question he asked was if they were going to get married like Gram and Dallas.

"Maybe someday," Sam replied, blushing and looking at Jake, who had followed them, to see his reaction.

He didn't look at her. He just looked at Cody and said," Then I would be your brother. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Cody didn't respond, but he gave them a huge smile before he climbed out of the loft and raced toward the house. Out of curiosity, they followed him and their eyes widened in horror as he said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear:

"Mommy, Daddy! Sam and Jake are getting married and he's going to be my brother!"


	6. Big Brother

**Thank you to all who read and reviewed my story. I apologize for taking so long to update. I'm a bit blocked right now, so any ideas would be appreciated. Thank you.**

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"Push!" the midwife ordered.

"Can't you see I'm trying!" Brynna screamed.

She was in labor with her second child and was struggling more than with the first labor. Sam was with Cody in the barn and attempting to distract him, but his mother's screams floated through the thin walls of the ranch house into the cool summer night. The poor little boy didn't understand what was happening but he knew that his momma was in pain, and he was terrified. Half-way through the night he fell asleep on Sam's lap, and by morning a baby girl was born. Nicole Grace Forster was the spitting image of her mother.  
By ten in the morning, most of the women in the area had flocked in to see the new-born. Cody was wondering around the house full of gushing women, feeling sick with jealousy, and the worst part was that Big Sister was just as star-struck as the rest of them. He was about to run to the barn in a fit when Jake's muscular arms scooped him up and placed him in Sam's lap. She then distracted him with talk of horses, school, friends, etc., and before long, he forgot all about his new sister. Sam nodded at Jake and he went to Brynna, carefully lifted the baby, and brought her to Sam. He gently placed her in Cody's arms.

"Hey, Nikki," Sam coed.

Nicole opened her big blue eyes and fixed them on Cody. He was enamored by her beauty, and whatever jealousy he had previously felt vanished. Sam and Jake smiled; their plan had worked. 

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** I'm sorry it was so short. I hope you enjoyed it.**


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